Monsieur Barnier was very catty and undiplomatic about David Davis and Britain’s negotiating team in new European Commission minutes released this morning. Barnier is quoted as “observing that the United Kingdom had not really engaged in the negotiations or spelled out its positions” (which is obviously untrue). He says DD “did not regard his direct involvement in these negotiations as his priority” (eh?). Juncker then “questions the stability and the accountability of the UK negotiation and his apparent lack of involvement”. More good-natured behaviour from Brussels…

Barnier seemed a bit embarrassed by all this in his press conference this lunchtime. In fact he (predictably) completely ate his words, praising Davis’ “professionalism” and “the competence of whole of the UK team”. He added a very different review of DD’s work: “I think his attitude is perfectly logical”. Make your mind up…

Quote of the Day

Dominic Raab wrote in his letter of resignation…

“This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust,” he told the PM, concluding: “I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election… I believe that the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland presents a very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom. I cannot support an indefinite backstop arrangement, where the EU holds a veto over our ability to exit…”